Champions League: Como the only Italian winner on matchday one, 4-1 against Leipzig
Baturina, Douvikas, Diao and Perrone: four goals against Leipzig in the club's first ever Champions League match, with two assists from Nico Paz. Inter Milan, Napoli and Roma all failed to win: four points from twelve for the Italian clubs. The numbers, and our calls.
Of the four Italian clubs in the Champions League, only one won on the opening matchday: Como, 4-1 against RB Leipzig. Inter Milan lost in Madrid, Napoli lost at home to Arsenal, Roma drew in Istanbul. Four points out of twelve, and the only three that come from a win were delivered by the side that had never played in the competition before.
The four goals
Baturina opened on 15 minutes. On 38 Douvikas made it two, set up by Baturina himself. After the break Diao made it three on 54 and Perrone finished it on 90: both laid on by Nico Paz, who came out of the game with two assists. Maksimović had pulled one back for the visitors on 58.
This was not a one-off
Possession finished level, 51% to 49%, and so did the shot count: fourteen each. The whole difference lies in what the two sides did with those shots. Como put six on target to four, built seven big chances to three, and closed with an expected-goals figure of 2.98 against 1.36.
A 4-1 with those numbers is not a lucky night: it is one side converting what it created against another that did not.
The starting line-ups
Como lined up 4-2-3-1: Butez; Couto, Jacobo Ramón, Chalobah, Álex Valle; Milla, Da Cunha; Diao, Nico Paz, Baturina; Douvikas.
The visitors answered with a 4-4-2: Vandevoordt; Baku, Orbán, Lukeba, Raum; Maksimović, El Aynaoui, Seiwald, Nusa; Guiu, Nkunku.
Our call
On this game our call was over 1.5 goals, confidence 6 out of 10: correct. Across the whole opening round the tally is sixteen correct calls out of eighteen: four from six on Tuesday, six from six on Wednesday, six from six on Thursday. The two misses are left written where they are.
And in the league
In Serie A Como sit fourth on seven points from three games, still unbeaten: two wins and a draw, seven goals scored and three conceded. Ahead of them are Roma, Inter and Lazio, all three with a perfect record.
Next up is Monday 14 September at 18:30 at home to Parma, and our call is under 4.5 goals, confidence 7 out of 10.
Every game with our reads is on the Serie A page and on the Champions League page. The record of settled calls is in the results history, and the individual ones are in player predictions.
